Hamilton Wilcox (1842-1911)

WILCOX

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 2/5/2021 at 15:01:52

Hamilton Wilcox
(August 30, 1842 – October 21, 1911)

Griswold American, Griswold, Iowa, Thurs., Nov 2, 1911, p.1
Great Crowd At Funeral
Last Sad Rites over Remains of Hamilton Wilcox Held Friday Afternoon
An immense concourse of people gathered at the Union church in this city Friday afternoon to pay their last tribute to all that remained of their friend and neighbor, Hamilton Wilcox. Al the stores were closed from 1 to 4 p.m. and with but few exceptions all the business men of the town were among the congregation. Many were the beautiful floral tributes that were sent by friends of the departed. The services were conducted by Rev. Charles Luck, assisted by Rev. T. A. Ambler, formerly of this place, but now of Storm Lake, a former pastor. The singing was by a double quartet composed of Mrs. Donald McKenzie, Mrs. F. R. Haley, Miss Gladys Allison, Miss Leila Kilpatrick, Messrs. Maulsby, Brown, Gerlach and Asay. The altar was beautifully decorated with cut flowers. Rev. Luck read the twenty-third Psalm after which Mr. Ambler delivered a short address. He told of the wonderful friendship that had existed between him and Mr. Wilcox as only he could tell it. Mr. Luck’s address was one full of feeling, he too was a close friend of Mr. Wilcox and the friendship that sprung up between them during the time that Mr. Luck has been pastor of the Union church was indeed close. In the death of Mr. Wilcox that community has lost a great man. Scores sought his counsel and advice before venturing into a business and they always received counsel that was good. He was a most successful business man and his works will long be a monument to his memory. After the services at the church all that was earthly were conveyed to the cemetery on the hill west of town where they were laid [text in middle of page illegible]
…suitable…will be erected large enough to contain the remains of himself and leave room for she who has shared his joys and sorrows.
Mr. Wilcox was born at Newport, Herkimer County, N. Y., August 30, 1842, and in that state his parents also had their nativity. They were Calvert and Rebecca (Starring) Wilcox. The father was a carpenter and worked at his trade in his native state until his death in 1849, when he was but 42 years old. The mother lived to the age of 76, passing away in 1885. Their offspring numbered four – three sons and one daughter. His grandfather, Henry Wilcox, was born and passed his earlier life in Connecticut. Hi was a tailor and prospered at his trade. He moved to the state of New York where he was a pioneer, and after a number of years of useful labor, there he died in that state. His father, Robert Wilcox, great grandfather of Hamilton Wilcox, was probably born in England and therefore came to this country in Colonial days. He was a soldier in the Revolution, serving in a Connecticut regiment.
Hon. Hamilton Wilcox grew to manhood in Lewis County, N. Y., whither his parents moved when he was but three years old. He was educated in the public schools and at the Lowville Academy in the county seat of that county, and after leaving that institution he began life for himself as a school teacher, later turning his attention and energetic business inclination to the lumber trade, buying and selling timber, and carrying on other lines of the industry. In 1880 he came to Cass County, and located at Griswold, which was then just started, and began handling real estate, loaning money and placing insurance. But Mr. Wilcox’s restless and productive mind could not be satisfied with even so active a business at this. So in 1887 he and Dr. John Piper together bought the Bank of Lewis, which at the end of the year they sold to Woodward, Harris & Co. the same autumn they erected the building now occupied by the Griswold National Bank, and opened the institution under the name of the Bank of Griswold, which was continued until 1807 [1907], when it was organized into the Griswold National Bank. Mr. Wilcox was elected its first president and he has filled this office in its directorate ever since. In addition to his other interests, and they were many and various, Mr. Wilcox has for years been an extensive breeder of livestock, owning a large ranch in Johnson County, Wyoming, a large farm in Missouri, in addition to a farm in this county. He was president and one of the directors of the Corn Belt Meat Association, and ably represented the Ninth Congressional district of the state. He was a lifelong democrat, and had represented his party with ability in many a county and state convention. In 1904 he was nominated by his party for congress, but was then defeated, the district being strongly republican. In 1876 Mr. Wilcox was married to Josephine Kirley, a New Yorker by nativity. One child has blessed their union, Gertrude, now Mrs. Fred Millet.